City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Virginia Beach, VA are 5.2% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $105,200 in Virginia Beach, VA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Huntsville, AL to Virginia Beach, VA ($110,847 → $108,019), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,231 in Virginia Beach | $95,029 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$201/yr.
53 Fair offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$201/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Huntsville → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $62,640 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $75,788 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $90,838 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $108,019 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $127,646 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $63,380 | $60,229 (−3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $129,090 | $122,672 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $79,450 | $75,500 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $89,450 | $85,003 (+10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.